How to Exercise Without Going Low

Exercising with diabetes can be a frustrating disaster. Worrying about going low and having to eat a ton of food, never even knowing exactly how much to eat. I’m sure you’ve even had the thought, ‘What’s the point of all this exercise if I just have to eat like a pig to do it!’ Ugh! Right?!

NO, WRONG!

I’m Dr. Jody Stanislaw and I’ve had type 1 diabetes for 35 years. I can show you how to exercise without having to eat or worry about going low. Truly.

If I could have known what I’m about to tell you when I was a teen, I would have seriously paid thousands of dollars for this information because it would’ve dramatically improved my life!

I hated having to eat all the time when I played sports or went to the gym. I’d get so frustrated because I wanted to be thinner but it seemed like I always had to eat more calories to avoid going low than I was even burning. I felt fat all the time. I developed an eating disorder. It was awful.

But now, all of that misery is behind me! I have finally learned how to not have eat anything when I exercise! Plus, I don’t worry anymore about lows. And at the age of 42, I’m in the best shape of my life, finally.

I have no idea why this life-changing information is not part of basic diabetes education. This fact actually makes me mad, given all the millions of you who I know are suffering like I was before I knew this simple and profound information you’re about to learn. I’m sure you’ve been taught that it’s too dangerous to exercise without eating. Understanding what I’m about to tell you, you’ll gain the wondrous freedom of knowing that does NOT have to be true.

I would have paid $100,000 to know this information. It would have saved me years of frustration and prevented me from ever developing a devastating eating disorder. And it’s so simple!

Are you sick of exercising and worrying about going low?

Wouldn’t you love to exercise without having to eat anything?!

Are you tired of always having to carry food with you when you’re active?

Wouldn’t you love to just enjoy your workout and have stable blood sugars?

Guess what? I’m about to tell you how!

Here’s How to Workout without Eating or Going Low…

#1) Do not workout within 4 hours of a high carb meal, unless you want to eat like a horse &/or go low.

When you eat a high carb meal, you have to take a big dose of fast acting. Well, fast acting works for up to 4 hours, so if you have a high carb meal, make sure your workout is at least 4 hours later so you don’t have a lot of insulin in your body while you exercise. Insulin is what makes you go low, not exercise. (Read that line again!) I know it’s shocking but it’s true. Understanding that will change your life.

Having your basal rate/long acting insulin dose set correctly is critical. If it’s too high, exercise will make you crash. This process requires a lot of detailed records. I help my patients do this everyday. Although it’s a complex process and can take a few weeks, it is critical not only to avoid lows during exercise but to establish the foundation for good blood sugars 24 hours a day.

If your background insulin is not set correctly, you will be constantly plagued by endless, frustrating and unpredictable blood sugar levels. You need to do this. (…and don’t worry, I can help you.)

#3) The less insulin you have in your body while you exercise, the better.

This tip combines the wisdom of #1 & #2 above. The million dollar message here is, the less insulin you have on board while you exercise, the less likely you’ll go low.

Remember the day before you first were diagnosed? I can guarantee you that no matter how active you were, it was impossible for you to go low. Why? Because it’s NOT exercise alone that makes you go low. It’s the insulin. Without excess insulin on board, you CANNOT go low. Exercise just makes your insulin more powerful. It makes it work faster and harder.

So if you must have some insulin on board, the further away the dose (thus the insulin is hopefully past it’s peak of power) plus the smaller the dose (thus the lower the momentum to make you go low), the lower your chance of going low.

I would have paid $100,000 or more to know this life-changing wisdom back in the day when I was a frustrated teen eating 100’s of calories during every workout!! This is priceless, life-changing information that can make your life so much happier, healthier, and easier! I’m so excited to share this with you today that I have to end this sentence with multiple exclamation marks!!!!!!!

Now of course, I’m not saying to have NO insulin on board. That would put you into DKA and I’m NOT suggesting that. You must always have some insulin on board. So the sweet spot that allows you to exercise like a normal, non-diabetic person is to ONLY have your baseline need of insulin on board. (I can help you establish this.)

#4) If you need or want to eat before your workout have protein.

When I’m about to exercise, be it for 30 min or all day, I have a protein based snack. Why? Because then I can enjoy some fuel without having to dose for it. Sure, I could eat some carbs and just reduce my dose for them but by how much? 25%? 50%? 73.92%?

Figuring that out causes more mental stress than it’s worth because as soon as you dose before exercise, you raise your chances of going low, and I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to worry about that while I’m having fun being active!

So what do I eat? A handful of nuts. Some turkey slices. A hardboiled egg. Beef jerky. Chicken wrapped in lettuce. An avocado. Some tuna fish. Celery and almond butter. My famous no carb flax muffin. (Don’t have the recipe?? Email me! It’s delicious!)

You can happily eat any of these things before or during your workout without having to worry about dosing, thus enjoying the bliss of stable blood sugar while you’re being active. What a joy that only us awesome folks with diabetes can understand! Ahhh, yes!

#5) Eat low carb on a daily basis

Today’s standard recommendations taught by diabetes educators around the world is to count your carbs and dose. Well, I’m sorry to bare the bad news, but if you want good blood sugars, that approach does NOT work.

Meals digest at all different rates. But insulin only works at one slow rate. Trying to get the digestion of food and it’s associated rise in blood sugar to hit at the exact same time that your insulin is peaking is almost an impossible task. You’d have better luck winning the lottery!

Insulin is not a fast or precise tool for blood sugar regulation, but it’s the best we’ve got so far. (Yes, I’m counting the days until the Bionic Pancreas is a reality for us all! What a day of extraordinary celebration that will be!) But in the meantime, all we’ve got is ‘fast acting’ (that term always makes me laugh) insulin.

So, please do not try to carve a rock if the only tool you have is a dull spoon. Translated into diabetes speak, that means eating a low carb diet is essential if you want to enjoy good blood sugar levels. Low carb choices allow you to take smaller doses. Smaller doses greatly reduce your risk of going low, especially of having one of those really bad lows, which can only be caused by a large dose of insulin.

By having less insulin in your body, not only during exercise, but at ANY time of day, you’ll greatly reduce your chance of going low, at any time of day.

So there you go! You now have the knowledge of one of the most valuable and priceless tools I wish every single person with diabetes knew. You now know how you can enjoy being active without having to eat a ton of food or worry about going low. The value held in this information is priceless!

For this to be your new reality though, you MUST have your long acting dose set correctly. AND know how to eat low carb 80% of the time. AND have the knowledge for how to dose your fast acting properly. This takes a lot to get right and I can help you.

To get help with all of this and to find out what your unique requirements are, sign-up for a free intro consultation.

Working with me can change your life, as it has for the hundreds of patients I’ve helped all across the country. I specialize in type 1, but work with motivated type 2’s as well. I work via phone so you can talk to me from the comfort of your own home. No commute. No waiting rooms.

Take a look at what some of my patients have to say:

My blood sugar levels have improved more since following Dr. Jody’s advice than they have in all the previous ten years of living with this disease. I feel better than ever and have the lowest A1c of my life. – Patrick Graff, age 25

To say that Dr. Jody changed my life is an understatement. Her knowledge and expertise, as well as her caring and compassion, have significantly improved my health. Trust her and believe her; follow her guidance; you will not regret it!” – Marjolaine Renfro, age 63

Dr. Jody listens and really looks at the whole picture of your health. I’ve never felt so heard by a doctor. She was the first one who finally was able to turn my health around. I now feel better than I have in years. – Julie Headle, age 45

I can teach you how to avoid having to eat a ton before exercise, gaining weight, and worrying about going low. Whether you are a type 1 or 2, sign up for a free intro consultation with me.

Medical disclaimer: Information provided in this article is for informational purposes only. This information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare provider. Do not use the information provided in this article for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or other health care provider before making any changes to your health care treatment plan, taking any medication or nutritional, herbal or homeopathic supplement, or using any other new treatment for a health problem. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, contact your healthcare provider promptly. Do not disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking professional assistance because of something you’ve read in this article. Information provided in this article and the use of any product or services related to this article DOES NOT create a doctor-patient relationship between you and Jody Stanislaw, ND.